katarl
2008-04-17, 02:53 PM
Yes, i'm at the old undead controlling base class thing again. This time my precious creation is a bastardisation of anime and oriental origin, designed around the necromaster archetype who can control a fair number of quite powerful skilled undead, as well as rebuke and command undead better than any other class, but has very weak combat abilities and no or fairly weak spellcasting.
What i'm interested in is thoughts on the class, improvements and help on design. I've got the bare bones down, but much like a zombified invertebrate, it needs a lot of filling.
So, see what you think, and don't forget to leave some comments, even if it's just that you think i'm a fan boy.
The Doshi (Dao-Si)
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/8/83/Tao_jun_anime.jpg
""
Abilities: Charisma is the most important attribute for a successful doshi, though if she is going to go into combat, she may need a high dexerity to compensate for her lack of armour, and a high constitution helps compensate for her lack of hit points.
Races: Humans are by far the most numerous doshi, as their usual ubiquity and adaptivity ensures it. Elves might make interesting doshi, though the concept of utterly dominating a creature, even a dead one may chafe with it's sensibilities.
Alignment: Doshi can be of any alignment, though there are few goodly doshi, as their abilities revolve around defiling and controlling the dead.
Hit Die: d6
Skill Points at 1st level: (2+ Int modifier)x4
Skill points at each additional level: 2+ Int modifier
Class Skills:
Bluff (Cha); Concentration (Con); Craft- ofuda (int); Heal (Wis); Knowledge- arcana, religion, history (int); Profession (Wis); Spellcraft (Int); Use Magic Device (Cha)
Starting Gold: As Wizard
Starting Age: As Wizard
Table 1-01
The Doshi
{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special
1st|
+0|
+0|
+0|
+2|Create Ofuda; Rebuke Undead
2nd|
+1|
+0|
+0|
+3|Jiang-Shi
3rd|
+1|
+1|
+1|
+3|Create Talisman
4th|
+2|
+1|
+1|
+4|Ofuda Mastery
5th|
+2|
+1|
+1|
+4|Class Ability
6th|
+3|
+2|
+2|
+5|Class Ability
7th|
+3|
+2|
+2|
+5|Class Ability
8th|
+4|
+2|
+2|
+6|Class Ability
9th|
+4|
+3|
+3|
+6|Ofuda Mastery
10th|
+5|
+3|
+3|
+7|Class Ability
11th|
+5|
+3|
+3|
+7|Class Ability
12th|
+6/+1|
+4|
+4|
+8|Class Ability
13th|
+6/+1|
+4|
+4|
+8|Class Ability
14th|
+7/+2|
+4|
+4|
+9|Ofuda Mastery
15th|
+7/+2|
+5|
+5|
+9|Class Ability
16th|
+8/+3|
+5|
+5|
+10|Class Ability
17th|
+8/+3|
+5|
+5|
+10|Class Ability
18th|
+9/+4|
+6|
+6|
+11|Class Ability
19th|
+9/+4|
+6|
+6|
+11|Ofuda Mastery
20th|
+10/+5|
+6|
+6|
+12|Capstone [/table]
Class Features
Weapon and Armour Proficiencies: A doshi is proficient with simple weapons and with no armour or shields. Wearing armour does not, however interfere with her class abilities.
Create Ofuda (Ex): A Doshi's most important attribute is the ability to craft Ofuda, small pieces of parchment upon which is written fragments of Daoist lore. A doshi can create up to half her craft(ofuda) skill check in gold pieces a day, and the cost is one sixth the market price. True Ofudas cannot be created by characters without the create ofuda class feature, having the craft skill will only allow such a character to make very convincing fakes.
Rebuke Undead (Su): A central tenet of her Doshi training is learning to command and controlundead beings, through a mixture of daoist ritual and force of will, she is able to bend themto her desire. She can rebuke and command undead as a cleric of her level, and she may do this 3 plus her charisma modifier times a day.
Jiang Shi: A Doshi is very vulnerable in combat, she can use few weapons and can wear little armour, so a prudent doshi surrounds herself with willing allies to protect her. At second level, a doshi gains the services of a 1st level cohort with the Jufu template, who serves the doshi loyally, as they are bound by a special ofuda that the doshi must create.
This special ofuda costs 100 gold pieces and takes 24 hours to make. The jiang-shi is far more powerful than it's more simple cousins, the Jufu, it gains levels as it's master gains levels in doshi, and it possesses a normal charisma score, as it's spirit is suppressed, rather than completely dominated. As the charisma is suppressed, a jiang-shi cannot cast spells, use spell-like abilities or use charisma-based skills, and it cannot talk or in any way vocalise, though it can understand the languages it knows.
The strength check to remove its ofuda is 20 plus the doshi's level, and the ofuda's hit points are calculated as part of the jiang-shi. If it is removed, rather than become inanimate, the jiang-shi will become uncontrolled, and as an intelligent being, will act as it wishes, which usually involves exacting a painful retribution on the doshi that dared make them her guardian. If the Doshi loses her Jiang-Shi, she may make another special ofuda at the same cost.
Create Talisman: A doshi is not just a necromancer, she is a purveyor of spirits, a binder of souls. At third level, she may bind incorporeal undead she has commanded via her rebuke undead ability into specially prepared talismans. These talismans provide the bearer with some kind of special benefit, depending on the type of incorporeal undead bound within them. Once bound, an incorporeal undead does not count towards her hd limit for commanding undead. Creating a talisman requires a craft (ofuda) check, as well as expending gold pieces equal to half it's cost.
A talisman binds a spirit, forcing it to protect the bearer. This protection may come in various forms, depending on the type of spirit bound.
Shadow: Once they preyed on the innocent from the dark places of the world, now they obscure the bearer from view. The bearer of a shadow talisman is harder to pin down, gaining concealment. This ability lasts a minute, requires a move action to activate and can be used a number of times a day equal to the number of shadows bound. A greater shadow bound allows a different benefit, making the user totally concealed for the same duration, once per day per greater shadow. The talisman's cost to make is 400gp.
Wraith: A wraith is famous for its immunity to the slings and stones of ordinary men. When bound, these beings grant their bearer similar invulnerability. The bearer gains damage reduction 5/magic and 50% fortification. This requires a move action to activate, and lasts a minute, and can be used a number of times a day equal to the number of wraiths bound. The talisman's cost to make is 800gp.
Ghost: A ghost can be many things, and when bound it grants these myriad abilities to it's bearer. The bearer gains one feat that the ghost possessed for a minute. They do not need to meet the prerequisite. This requires a move action to activate and can be used once a day per ghost bound possessing that feat. It lasts for a minute. The talisman's cost is 4800gp to make.
Ofuda Mastery (Ex): A doshi of fourth level or greater can command up to twice her turning level in jufu animated by ofuda, rather than just her level's worth. At ninth level, this increases to four times her level, and at fourteenth and nineteenth level to six and eight times her level respectively.
What i'm interested in is thoughts on the class, improvements and help on design. I've got the bare bones down, but much like a zombified invertebrate, it needs a lot of filling.
So, see what you think, and don't forget to leave some comments, even if it's just that you think i'm a fan boy.
The Doshi (Dao-Si)
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/8/83/Tao_jun_anime.jpg
""
Abilities: Charisma is the most important attribute for a successful doshi, though if she is going to go into combat, she may need a high dexerity to compensate for her lack of armour, and a high constitution helps compensate for her lack of hit points.
Races: Humans are by far the most numerous doshi, as their usual ubiquity and adaptivity ensures it. Elves might make interesting doshi, though the concept of utterly dominating a creature, even a dead one may chafe with it's sensibilities.
Alignment: Doshi can be of any alignment, though there are few goodly doshi, as their abilities revolve around defiling and controlling the dead.
Hit Die: d6
Skill Points at 1st level: (2+ Int modifier)x4
Skill points at each additional level: 2+ Int modifier
Class Skills:
Bluff (Cha); Concentration (Con); Craft- ofuda (int); Heal (Wis); Knowledge- arcana, religion, history (int); Profession (Wis); Spellcraft (Int); Use Magic Device (Cha)
Starting Gold: As Wizard
Starting Age: As Wizard
Table 1-01
The Doshi
{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special
1st|
+0|
+0|
+0|
+2|Create Ofuda; Rebuke Undead
2nd|
+1|
+0|
+0|
+3|Jiang-Shi
3rd|
+1|
+1|
+1|
+3|Create Talisman
4th|
+2|
+1|
+1|
+4|Ofuda Mastery
5th|
+2|
+1|
+1|
+4|Class Ability
6th|
+3|
+2|
+2|
+5|Class Ability
7th|
+3|
+2|
+2|
+5|Class Ability
8th|
+4|
+2|
+2|
+6|Class Ability
9th|
+4|
+3|
+3|
+6|Ofuda Mastery
10th|
+5|
+3|
+3|
+7|Class Ability
11th|
+5|
+3|
+3|
+7|Class Ability
12th|
+6/+1|
+4|
+4|
+8|Class Ability
13th|
+6/+1|
+4|
+4|
+8|Class Ability
14th|
+7/+2|
+4|
+4|
+9|Ofuda Mastery
15th|
+7/+2|
+5|
+5|
+9|Class Ability
16th|
+8/+3|
+5|
+5|
+10|Class Ability
17th|
+8/+3|
+5|
+5|
+10|Class Ability
18th|
+9/+4|
+6|
+6|
+11|Class Ability
19th|
+9/+4|
+6|
+6|
+11|Ofuda Mastery
20th|
+10/+5|
+6|
+6|
+12|Capstone [/table]
Class Features
Weapon and Armour Proficiencies: A doshi is proficient with simple weapons and with no armour or shields. Wearing armour does not, however interfere with her class abilities.
Create Ofuda (Ex): A Doshi's most important attribute is the ability to craft Ofuda, small pieces of parchment upon which is written fragments of Daoist lore. A doshi can create up to half her craft(ofuda) skill check in gold pieces a day, and the cost is one sixth the market price. True Ofudas cannot be created by characters without the create ofuda class feature, having the craft skill will only allow such a character to make very convincing fakes.
Rebuke Undead (Su): A central tenet of her Doshi training is learning to command and controlundead beings, through a mixture of daoist ritual and force of will, she is able to bend themto her desire. She can rebuke and command undead as a cleric of her level, and she may do this 3 plus her charisma modifier times a day.
Jiang Shi: A Doshi is very vulnerable in combat, she can use few weapons and can wear little armour, so a prudent doshi surrounds herself with willing allies to protect her. At second level, a doshi gains the services of a 1st level cohort with the Jufu template, who serves the doshi loyally, as they are bound by a special ofuda that the doshi must create.
This special ofuda costs 100 gold pieces and takes 24 hours to make. The jiang-shi is far more powerful than it's more simple cousins, the Jufu, it gains levels as it's master gains levels in doshi, and it possesses a normal charisma score, as it's spirit is suppressed, rather than completely dominated. As the charisma is suppressed, a jiang-shi cannot cast spells, use spell-like abilities or use charisma-based skills, and it cannot talk or in any way vocalise, though it can understand the languages it knows.
The strength check to remove its ofuda is 20 plus the doshi's level, and the ofuda's hit points are calculated as part of the jiang-shi. If it is removed, rather than become inanimate, the jiang-shi will become uncontrolled, and as an intelligent being, will act as it wishes, which usually involves exacting a painful retribution on the doshi that dared make them her guardian. If the Doshi loses her Jiang-Shi, she may make another special ofuda at the same cost.
Create Talisman: A doshi is not just a necromancer, she is a purveyor of spirits, a binder of souls. At third level, she may bind incorporeal undead she has commanded via her rebuke undead ability into specially prepared talismans. These talismans provide the bearer with some kind of special benefit, depending on the type of incorporeal undead bound within them. Once bound, an incorporeal undead does not count towards her hd limit for commanding undead. Creating a talisman requires a craft (ofuda) check, as well as expending gold pieces equal to half it's cost.
A talisman binds a spirit, forcing it to protect the bearer. This protection may come in various forms, depending on the type of spirit bound.
Shadow: Once they preyed on the innocent from the dark places of the world, now they obscure the bearer from view. The bearer of a shadow talisman is harder to pin down, gaining concealment. This ability lasts a minute, requires a move action to activate and can be used a number of times a day equal to the number of shadows bound. A greater shadow bound allows a different benefit, making the user totally concealed for the same duration, once per day per greater shadow. The talisman's cost to make is 400gp.
Wraith: A wraith is famous for its immunity to the slings and stones of ordinary men. When bound, these beings grant their bearer similar invulnerability. The bearer gains damage reduction 5/magic and 50% fortification. This requires a move action to activate, and lasts a minute, and can be used a number of times a day equal to the number of wraiths bound. The talisman's cost to make is 800gp.
Ghost: A ghost can be many things, and when bound it grants these myriad abilities to it's bearer. The bearer gains one feat that the ghost possessed for a minute. They do not need to meet the prerequisite. This requires a move action to activate and can be used once a day per ghost bound possessing that feat. It lasts for a minute. The talisman's cost is 4800gp to make.
Ofuda Mastery (Ex): A doshi of fourth level or greater can command up to twice her turning level in jufu animated by ofuda, rather than just her level's worth. At ninth level, this increases to four times her level, and at fourteenth and nineteenth level to six and eight times her level respectively.